Posted on

Hassled By The Man

Read Psalm 82

Featured Verse: Psalm 82:4

“Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”

This entire psalm is a plea for God to rise up against the powerful who use their positions of power—either through aggression or neglect—to harass and abuse the powerless: the poor, the orphan, the destitute, the oppressed.  In fact, this psalm is more than a plea; it’s a challenge, really, to the Almighty to do what a righteous God ought to do:  Ensure liberty and justice for one and all.

That has been a common theme in every age—including ours.  Too often, the powerless have been hassled by “the man,” with impunity.  Throughout history, the rich have built their wealth on the backs of the poor, men have treated women as chattel, adults have neglected children, ruling parties have disenfranchised minorities, captains of industry have enslaved “lesser” human beings, and those who have the means to prevent and eradicate poverty, hunger and disease have stood by while the lives of untold millions have been needlessly ruined.  Perhaps at some level, you have even felt hassled by “the man.”

There is something in us that cries out for God to intervene, isn’t there?  And sometimes we feel as though the God of justice who rules from heaven above has turned a blind eye to the plight of the unfortunate. But there is a day coming when God will rise up and bring both the living and the dead to full account.  And on that day, justice and fairness will finally and fully reign throughout all of creation.  It may not seem like it today, but that day is coming.

If you doubt that, just look at the empty tomb, and while Christ’s resurrection “finished” our redemption, if was just the beginning of God restoring order to his creation!  Jesus rose from the grave as Lord over all, breaking the chains of sin and suffering, sending notice throughout time and eternity that he will not rest until the rulers, principalities, world systems and spiritual dominions that have caused the ruination of God’s plan for the human race are brought under his fair and just dominion.

It may not seem like it today, but the empty tomb and the Risen Savior remind us that God has not turned a blind eye to this planet, nor to you.  So don’t ever forget, “the man’s” days are numbered. And when his days are finally done, then the innumerable and unending days of the rule and reign of the Son of Man will begin—and then there will truly be liberty and justice for all!

“God puts Christ’s enemies as a footstool beneath His feet, for their salvation as well as their destruction.”
—Origen

Posted on

The Big “If”

Read Psalm 81

Featured Verse: Psalm 81:13-14

“If my people would but listen to me, if Israel would follow my ways, how quickly would I subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes!”

We often speak of God’s unconditional grace, unlimited love and undeserved mercy—for which we are all unspeakably grateful. But let’s not forget that God does have some conditions for us; there is a sense in which his unlimited love is limited; there are some things we must do to deserve his mercy. There are some big “if’s” to this relationship we enjoy with God.

God is a conditional God. Did you notice how the psalmist put it? “If” God’s people listen to him, “if” God’s people obey him, then, and only then, will he fight on their behalf and give them victory. The psalmist is only echoing what is taught in a hundred other places throughout Scripture: The blessings of the covenant that God has made with us are conditional—God’s unconditional, unlimited, and undeserved favor flows to us only as we walk in loving surrender to his rulership over our lives.

In our Christian culture there has been a tendency to emphasize grace in a way that is not balanced by truth, love that is not balanced by obedience, and mercy that is not balanced by authentic repentance. That has led to “easy believism”—an unhealthy and risky view of salvation. It is time for us to reexamine what the Scriptures tell us rather than to mindlessly allow current preaching trends to adjust what the Bible teaches to what our culture finds acceptable. We must adjust our beliefs and behaviors, as painful and costly as that might be, to what God’s Word says, not vice versa.

So on this particular day, as you examine your heart, honestly and openly ask yourself if you are living up to your end of the bargain. Check to see if you are meeting the conditions of the covenant. The painful part of doing that may be that you are required to do some costly realigning of your life.

The upside is that if you are fulfilling the big “if’s” in your relationship with God, then you can expect an unimaginable supply of unconditional grace, unlimited love, and undeserved mercy.

“Will is to grace as the horse is to the rider.”
—Augustine

Posted on

Prayer For A Once Mighty Nation

An Impassioned Intercession for Israel ... An America

Read Psalm 80

Featured Verse: Psalm 80:19

“Restore us, O LORD God Almighty; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved.”

How do you pray for a once-godly nation that is now suffering the just punishment for rebellion? You do what the psalmist did: Boldly, persistently and unashamedly pray for restoration!

Three times the psalmist made the exact same appeal for the restoration of Israel—Psalm 80:3,7,19. Each appeal is more intense than the previous, building to this crescendo of importunity in the final verse. He even sneaks in another plea for revival in the penultimate verse—Psalm 80:18. This guy is bent on national renewal in Israel through a spiritual awakening!

What is interesting about Psalm 80—which you would agree is especially applicable for America right now—is that this desperate cry for restoration came during a time when the Almighty had removed his blessing because of the nation’s persistent rebellion. It was most likely written at the tail end of the Northern Kingdom’s rebellious run as a nation, and they were suffering the harsh reality of life without the protective hand of God—deservedly so!

How like America! We, too, have strayed from our once declared dependence upon the Almighty’s protective hand. We have abandoned the collective sense of our national raison d’être: To serve God’s purposes in the earth. Our belief that American exceptionalism results only from Divine Sovereignty has been severely damaged, perhaps without remedy. We have traveled so far down the road of spiritual rebellion that God will have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorah if he withholds punishment on this nation much longer. That is really what we deserve.

But in reality, isn’t what was true of Israel, and what is true of America, true of you and me, too? At the end of the day, aren’t we all undeserving of anything but God’s judgment? Yet what is even more interesting about Psalm 80 is that the appeal for restoration is not based on the worthiness of Israel, it is rather rooted in the immutable character of God—who is gracious, compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in love and delights to show mercy rather than send calamity! (Psalm 103:8-14, Joel 2:13, Micah 7:18)

God has been very clear that consequences will follow sin; the law of sowing and reaping is unmistakably clear in Scripture. Yet the psalmist, along with other Biblical writers, often placed their hope in the mercy of God—and prayed like crazy for a crop failure.

I think it’s okay to pray for a crop failure. In fact, I would even say it’s wise to pray that way. Why? God may just substitute his mercy for discipline. The Message translation says of God in Micah 7:18,

“Mercy is your specialty.”

Since mercy and grace are what makes God, God, why not tap into them and pray for the restoration of a once mighty nation—and perhaps, a once blessed life!

“Free grace can go into the gutter, and bring up a jewel!”
—Charles Spurgeon

Posted on

No Longer A Christian Nation? Uh Oh!

Read Psalm 79

Featured Verse: Psalm 79:6

“Pour out your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge you, on the kingdoms that do not call on your name;”

Not too long ago Newsweek magazine headlined with “The End of Christian America” while President Obama explained to the Turkish people that America is not a Christian nation.

Technically, you could make that argument. To be sure, there are millions of Christians and thousands of churches in America—which I believe to be the catalyst for the unprecedented greatness of America—but from a birds-eye view, when you look at America culturally, politically, economically, internationally, morally, judicially, and spiritually, what does the evidence tell you?

Biblically, you can see the danger of mistaking our national politics for the true faith. Just because we hang the Ten Commandments in a courtroom or have “In God We Trust” on our coins or claim deeply spiritual roots doesn’t guarantee the “Christian-ness” of America. Just go back to any number of places in the Old Testament and see how that mindset worked out for Israel.

But while it might be technically and Biblically true that we’re not a Christian nation, to proclaim so with the sense of pride that seems to be behind these pronouncements should cause us, one and all, a great deal of concern. You see, spiritually, any nation, including the great nation of America, that does not acknowledge God or call upon his name is a candidate for Divine wrath, according to not only this particular psalm, but a whole host of other Biblical teaching as well. Pride in our spiritual diversity now will one day cause our corporate knees to turn to putty as we stand before the judgment of Almighty God. Those who are so bold today will not be on that day!

For the president, the leader of the free world and our national spokesman, to proclaim that America is not a Christian nation should ignite a holy conflagration among Christians. But not, perhaps, in the way you think. The fires of revival will never burn again in America because of political or social activism. Don’t forget that! That is not to say you should disengage as a political or social activist. By all means, if that’s your deal, go for it!

What America needs most is another great awakening! And that will only happen as believers act like believers and churches act like the church is supposed to act. That will only happen as we, both individually and corporately, humble ourselves in repentance and prayer (II Chronicles 7:14). As the great revivalist, Charles Finney said, “There can be no revival when Mr. Amen and Mr. Wet-Eyes are not found in the audience.” Renewal will only happen as we truly live out our faith in deed, not just in word. Renewal will only happen as believers begin to clean up their act. The next great spiritual awakening in America will only happen when Christians get serious about penetrating this society as salt and light.

So let me ask you this: If you were the only Christian left in America, and the spiritual renewal of America depended on your witness, what hope would there be for America?

Sounds like you need to get with it! Me, too!

“A revival is nothing else than a new beginning of obedience to God.”
—Charles Finney

Posted on

Parental Neglect

Read Psalm 78

Featured Verse: Psalm 78:4,6-7

“We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation, the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has done…so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands.”

I realize my title is a bit negative, but I have a deep concern that we have been in a fifty year or so cycle of parental neglect. I am not just talking about our culture; I am speaking of the church. Christian parents have been neglecting one of the most basic and important roles that God calls a father and mother to play in the lives of their children: Teacher.

You see, the better we become at doing church, the more parents have abdicated their duty to teach their own children the sacred things of God. We have turned that over to the children’s pastor, or the youth leader, or the small group mentor. Not that I have anything against those people—those are roles God calls people to serve within his family—but frankly, pastors and mentors have not been called to the primary role of instructor in your child’s life—you have! They are only there to assist you and compliment the spiritual foundation you are laying down.

The psalmist calls us to pick up the mantle and begin to teach our children well. So well that when your child comes of age, they will not refer to “the God of my father,” but will exclaim, “my Lord and my God.” You see, God doesn’t want to be your child’s grandfather, he wants to be their Heavenly Father. That is less likely to happen if you surrender your teaching role to another.

Likewise, you are called to teach them the things of God so well that not only will they continually remember the mighty acts of God, they will know in no uncertain terms that it is now their role to pass the sacred things of God on to their children, who will in turn pass it on to their children, and thus, a perpetual cycle is established where “the next generation would know.”

This is a lengthy psalm, but I would suggest it provides the core curriculum that must be mastered in every godly household if the Christian community is going to multiply a godly heritage throughout Planet Earth. Within it you will find History 101—the mighty acts of God among his people. (Psalm 78: 12-16) Following that is The Law of Cause and Effect 201—what happens when God’s people rebel. (Psalm 78:18-21) Then there is Ownership 301—God’s sovereign choice gives him the right to place demands upon our lives. (Psalm 78: 68) And finally, we reach Class 401: Living On Purpose—honoring God by living a life of integrity and skill (Psalm 78:70-72).

All your child needs to know can be learned in Psalm 78. Recess is over—time to get to class!

“It is easier to build a boy than to mend a man.”

Posted on

Righteous Wrath—Oh What A Relief!

Read Psalm 76

Featured Verse: Psalm 76:10

“Surely your wrath against men brings you praise, and the survivors of your wrath are restrained.”

Ask most people and they will tell you they prefer a God of love, not wrath. They like the Jesus who is “full of grace,” but they are not so sure about the Christ whose grace is perfectly balanced with “truth.” People get very uncomfortable with a Deity who actually punishes sin, preferring a world where “all dogs go to heaven,” as do all people. All of which would render judgment, punishment and hell entirely irrelevant.

Yet throughout the Bible we find in the Triune God—Father, Son and Holy Spirit—a capacity for righteous wrath: Sodom and Gomorrah are destroyed by fire, moneychangers are given the bum’s rush right out of the temple, greedy Ananias and Sapphira drop dead in church, and at the proper time, the living and the dead will face the final judgment. Though perfectly loving, resplendent with grace, unequaled in patience, a place of safety for his children, God is also a bit dangerous because he is organically just.

I prefer a God like that. I don’t want the syrupy, doting eternal Santa Claus who does nothing but dispense goodies to one and all—even the bad ones. I want a God who is fair and true and just…and dangerous.

However, what I prefer, what anyone prefers, matters little. Like it or not, the kind of God we get is a God of love—and of justice! Likewise, the kind of Savior we get wasn’t the sugary sweet version so many in our culture have made him to be—a sanitized, tame, Mr. Rogers version of Christ. Dorothy Sayers was right,

“To do them justice, the people who crucified Jesus did not do so because he was a bore. Quite the contrary; he was too dynamic to be safe. It has been left for later generations to muffle up that shattering personality and surround him with an atmosphere of tedium. We have declawed the lion of Judah and made him a housecat for pale priests and pious old ladies…“To do them justice, the people who crucified Jesus did not do so because he was a bore. Quite the contrary; he was too dynamic to be safe. It has been left for later generations to muffle up that shattering personality and surround him with an atmosphere of tedium. We have declawed the lion of Judah and made him a housecat for pale priests and pious old ladies… To those who knew him, however, he in no way suggests a milk-and-water person; they objected to him as a dangerous firebrand.”

But the Bible is quite clear: Jesus is no pussycat—he is the Lion of Judah, and one day, as II Timothy 4:1 says, “Jesus Christ [will] judge the living and the dead.” And on that day, all of heaven will thunder, “You are just in these judgments, you who are and who were, the Holy One…Yes, Lord God Almighty, true and just are your judgments.” (Revelation 16: 5,7)

All of creation, including you and I, will be utterly amazed at the justice and fairness of God’s judgment, and we will stand in solidarity and declare in unison, “That’s exactly right—true and just are your judgments!”

Justice will finally be served by the only One who can be trusted to judge in righteousness and fairness. What a relief!

“When the author walks on the stage the play is over. God is going to invade, all right … something so beautiful to some of us and so terrible to others that none of us will have any choice left? For this time it will be God without disguise … it will be too late then to choose your side. There is no use saying you choose to lie down when it has become impossible to stand up.”
— C.S. Lewis

Posted on

God Rules—Live With It!

Read Psalm 75

Featured Verse: Psalm 75:6-7

“No one from the east or the west or from the desert can exalt a man. But it is God who judges: He brings one down, he exalts another.”

What a great reminder! It is neither the Democratic or the Republican National Committees that get their candidates elected; it is not how well organized the parties are at the grassroots level; it is not the hundreds of millions of dollars that we now spend to “buy” elections—although those factors certainly play into the outcome. But at the end of the day, it is what God permits that determines who will rise and who will fall.

The truth is, we see only a little slice of history. From our perspective, the country was desperately needing change, or we were in a war and we needed a wartime leader in the Oval office, or whatever other scenario we used to describe our current context. But God lives outside of time and above circumstances, and he is moving human history to a conclusion that he has foreordained. Daniel 2:20-21 reminds us,

Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever;
He sets up kings and deposes them.
He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.

If we could truly absorb that truth and embrace it as a guiding principle for our everyday lives, what difference would it make in how we approach life? I think we would live with a lot less anxiety about the current global climate. I think we would be a great deal less upset about our current leaders, or a lot less dependent on them to solve our every problem. I think we would be a lot less worried about whether we would have a job, or good health, or a happy family when the sun comes up tomorrow. In fact, we would not lose any sleep at all about the sun coming up tomorrow or not.

Now I’m not claiming that we should adopt a do-nothing, careless approach to life. Of course not—that would make us unworthy servants (see Matthew 25:24-30) of a Master who expects us to do our best with what we have been given (Colossians 3:23-24). But remembering that God rules over all, big and small; that God controls all, big and small; that God uses all the events of this world, big and small, to bring about his perfect plan, helps me to live out my life in a much more purposeful, peaceful and productive way.

God rules—live with it!

“There is a God in heaven who over-rules all things for the best; and this is the comfort of my soul.”
—David Brainerd